Clutch mechanism



July 25, 1939. w. ROCKE I CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed April 5, 1937 INVENTOR. wlfi'ewafiacka %"%4\ ATTORNEYS.

"Han? Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE CLUTCH MECHANISM William Roche, South Bend, Ind. Application April 5, 1937, Serial Nb. 135,000

6 Claims. (cl. 192-53) This invention is directed to a clutch mechanism for power operated washing machines.

An object of this invention resides in the provision of a flexible frictional driving connectionfor a..iaw type lutch which is effective to eliminate sudden jar and clash of parts while positive driving connection through the clutch is being established. v

It is afurther object of this invention to pro vide a clutch assembly for devices of this character with suflicient resiliency to accommodate slight misalignment in the cooperating parts of the driving mechanism.

Other objects will be disclosed from the following drawing and descriptions of which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view fllustrating the details 'of assembly of the present clutch mechanism as applied to the impeller shaft of a washing machine.

.Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan sectional view of the.

leading facejof the clutch driven membertaken on the line 3-3 of Fig. '1. I

Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view taken :on the line 14 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, l designates the im-' peller shaft of a washing machine (not shown) which is adapted to be driven by amotor ii and motor drive shaft'through-a jaw type clutch indicated generally as at l2.

The driver member of the clutch 2 comprises a pulley ll splined or keyed to the shaft as at .l5. Thrust reaction 'of the clutch l2 against the motor is taken by a resilient member l6 interposed between' the adjacent face of the pulley i4 and a metallic washer i1 secured against rot'a- I ,driven member of the clutch l2 maybe obtained ,rer eflfectin'g' positive driving connection.

tion by dowel pins 18, as shown in Fig. 1.. The upper or leading face of the pulley H is rela-,- tively. flat and smooth to form a seating surface l3 through which driving connection with the independently of a .positive driving connection through the lugs 20 projecting from the peripheral edge of the pulley l4.

The driven member of the clutch l2 comprises a metal drum 2| having 'a downwardly projecting annular, wall 22 provided with lugs 23 adapted to cooperate with the lugs 20 of the pulley It Attachment of the drum 2| to the impeller shaft I0 is secured through a metal sleeve 24 and a re-- silient sleeve 25, As s'hownin Fig- 1, sleevefl is provided with splines coacting with key ways -26 formed in the shaft I0 whereby sleeve 24 is "sleeve 25 are rigidly clamped by crimping or the like.

adapted to slide vertically with reference to the shaft Ill. The position of sleeve 24 with reference to the shaft i0 is controlled by a crank 21 engaged in the annular channel defined by the opposed surfaces of vertically spaced washers 28 and 29 fixed to and projecting radially from the hub portion of the sleeve 24. The upper surface i of washer 28 provides a seat for a cone-shaped helical spring 30 anchored at its upper end against a retaining ring 3| seated in a groove 32 in the shaft l0. Thus as the crank 21 is turned I in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 the sleeve 24 is ,moved up ordown under or against the pressure of the spring 30.

In order to mount'the drum 2| with respect to the sleeve .24 so as to maintain axial alignment with the clutch driver, the resilientsleeve is employed. .Stiffening washers 33 and 34 secured -to the lower end portion of the sleeve 24, and

companion washers 35 and 36 secured by rivets 20 or screws 31 to the drum 2|, define lips between which the cooperating edges of the resilient 1 the direction of the pulley |4,.the member 38 will contact the seating surface I 9 of the pulley I4. 35

Manifestly, further operation of the crank 21 to engage the lugs 20 of the pulley .I4 and the lugs 23 of the drum. 2| will cause the member 38 to be pressed firmly against the seating-surface l9 with suificient force-to start rotation of thedrum 40 2| and associated parts and gradually increase the speed of the shaft to approximately the samespeed as that of the pulley H. The member 38 is, of course, so designed as to not interfere with complete engagement of the respective lugs 20 4,5

and 23 of the pulley and drum aforesaid.

A pilot. portion 39 associated with the shaft of theumotor II is adapted to cooperate with a centering bushing 40 applied in any suitable manner to a central opening through the drum 2 l, whe'reby automatic centering and axial alignment of the shafts I3 and I0 is accomplished. Obviously, the flexibility of the sleeve 25 lends itself to this feature.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that clash and shock to the motor and cooperating 'shafts of the impeller driving mechanism is eliminated and a clutch assembly having a maximum degree of flexibility without loss of positive driving connection is provided.

Havingthus described myinvention, what I now claim as new is;

1. In a washing machine, the combination with an impeller shaft, a driving motor having a drive shaft, said shafts being separated from each other, means for establishing positive driving connection between said impeller shaft and said drive shaft comprising a spring pressed jaw clutch driven member and a jaw clutchdriver, a flat seating surface on the leading face of said clutch driver, and means associated with the leading face of said driven member comprising a flexible outwardly tapering frustoconical body having a leading surface extending in advance of the forwardmost portion of said driven member.

2. In a mechanism for driving a washingmachine impeller, the combination with an impeller shaft, means for positively driving said shaft including a jaw clutch driver and a jaw clutch driven member, a sleeve slidably mounted on said impeller shaft for rotation therewith, a resilient sleeve secured to said first sleeve and supporting l said clutch driven member, and a compressible annular member normally projecting beyond the leading portion of the clutch driven member and attached thereto, means for normally maintaining said clutch driver and driven member in positive driving engagement, and a means for controlgaging relation.

members and carried by one thereof adapted to frictionally engage the other thereof during the movement of said clutch members into interen- 4; A drive connection between a power actuated driveshaft and a shaft to be driven comprising a tooth clutch member mounted upon and for rotation by the drive shaft, said shafts bein separated from each other, a companion tooth clutch member operatively associated with the second shaft, manually operable means for controlling the engagement and disengagement of said clutch members with each other, one of said clutch members being equipped with a friction clutch surface opposed to the other thereof, and a resilient compressible and distortable friction clutch member secured to the last mentioned clutch member and equipped with a friction surface opposed to and adapted to engage said surface of the other clutch member prior tointerengagement of said first-named clutch members during movement of the latter into interengaging relation, said friction clutch member acting to resist yieldingly the last-named movement of said tooth-clutch members.

5. A drive connection between a power actuated drive shaft and a shaft to be driven comprising a tooth clutch member mounted upon and for rotation by the drive shaft, said shafts being separated from each other, a companion tooth clutch member operatively associated with the second shaft, a spring engaged with one of said members for maintaining the same normally engaged with the other thereof, a manually operable device for effecting and maintaining disengagement of said clutch members from each other, one of said clutch members being equipped with a friction clutch surface opposed to the other thereof, and a resilient compressible and distortable friction clutch member secured to the last mentioned clutch member and equipped with a friction surface opposed to and adapted to engage said surfaceof the other clutch member prior to interengagement of said first-named clutch members during movement of the latter into interengaging relation, said friction clutch member acting to resist yieldingly the last-named movement of said tooth clutch members. V

6. A drive connection between a power actuated drive shaft and a shaft to be driven comprising a tooth clutch member mounted upon and for rotation by the drive shaft, said shafts being separated from each other, a companion tooth clutch member operatively associated with the second shaft, a spring engaged with one of saidmembers for maintaining the same normally.

engaged with the other thereof, a manually operable device for effecting and maintaining disengagement of said clutch members from each other, one of saidclutch members being equipped with a friction clutch surface opposed to the other thereof, and a resilient rubber member secured to the other of said clutch member and equipped with a friction surface normally opposed to and spaced from said surface and adapted to engage the latter in advance of interengagement of said tooth clutch members and be compressed'as the latter approach and reach interengaging position responsively to the action of said spring.

WILLIAM ROCKE. 

